Courts will support school boards' dress codes if based on needs rather than opinions. Courts have affirmed that minors have constitutional rights. Hair length, clothing style, and beards may be protected by students' right to freedom of expression. Codes must be carefully written and consistent with schools' legitimate goals. (PB)

The House of Lords' decision in "R. (on the application of Begum) v. The Headteacher and Governors of Denbigh High School" considered whether a particular school uniform policy infringed a student's right to manifest her religion under Article 9. This paper analyses the content of this decision, and explores how schools should approach…

This article discusses some of the options and strategies available to school districts in defending dress codes which mandate uniforms. Three components are essential to a successful defense: the dress code must bear a reasonable relation to the school's pedagogical purpose, it must include alternative avenues of expression, and it must…

The outcome of legal battles regarding student dress codes often depends on how the issue is characterized; words used in the code; the geographic area of the conflict; on the ideological trend of the Supreme Court and the political/social climate of the country; and judicial inactivism of the Court. Applies these variables to two Jefferson…

Describes how administrator-imposed discipline of students is circumscribed by their legal rights. (PKP)

The benefits of school uniforms far outweigh their short-term costs. School uniforms not only keep students safe, but they increase their self-esteem, promote a more positive attitude toward school, lead to improved student behavior, and help blur social-class distinctions. Students are allowed to wear their own political or religious messages,…

This report contains digests of 171 of 265 court decisions concerning students which were compiled from court decisions published in the National Reporter System during the calendar year 1970. The decisions on school desegregation and permissible length of male students' hair have been reported here on a selective basis because of the volume and…

Arguments concerning the length of a kindergarten boy's hair pointed up flaws in the handling of what should have been a routine administrative exercise. The incident forced a rigid law-and-order stance on administrators and board members of the Pasadena Independent School District in Pasadena, Texas. (Author/MLF)

This report points up the infringement on student constitutional rights by Washington State public schools. To remedy the situation, the report proposes State legislation guaranteeing the substantive rights of students. The proposed legislation is presented together with explanatory and supportive statements. A related document is EA 003 787. (JF)

Reviews 1972 State and Federal court decisions relating to student rights, corporal punishment, sex education, student fees, and pupil transportation. (JF)

Principals desiring to develop a school-uniform policy should involve parents, teachers, community leaders, and student representatives; beware restrictions on religious and political expression; provide flexibility and assistance for low-income families; implement a pilot program; align the policy with school-safety issues; and consider legal…

In 1969 the Supreme Court, in "Tinker v. Des Moines Independent Community School District," established the right of students to freedom of expression in school unless the exercise of that right would materially and substantially interfere with the requirements of appropriate discipline or collide with the rights of others in the school.…

Summarizes the implications of the Tinker case (in which school authorities suspended students for wearing black armbands) and explores the extent to which the law permits school authorities to regulate student appearance. (Author/DN)